U.S. President Donald Trump has refiled his $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, weeks after a federal judge dismissed the original filing for excessive length and exaggerated language.
The new suit, filed Thursday in a Florida court, spans 40 pages—less than half the length of the previous 85-page version thrown out by Judge Steven Merryday in September.
According to court documents obtained by AFP, the complaint accuses the newspaper, three of its reporters, and Penguin Random House of publishing “false, defamatory, and malicious” content. It cites two articles and a book as the basis of the alleged defamation.
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Trump’s legal team claims the publications damaged the president’s professional reputation and acted “with actual malice,” a key threshold in U.S. defamation law.
The suit seeks at least $15 billion in compensatory damages, along with punitive damages to be determined at trial.
Trump’s lawyers described the case as part of a broader effort to combat “media corruption and political persecution.” Since returning to office, Trump has filed multiple defamation suits against major outlets, including a $10 billion claim against The Wall Street Journal and a $16 million settlement with Paramount Global over a CBS segment.
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Critics view the lawsuits as attempts to silence the press, while Trump’s supporters argue they are necessary to hold media organizations accountable.
The New York Times has yet to issue a public response to the latest filing.
